Sinn Féin in the lead! FF & FG surprised?! What do you think? Exciting or scary times?!

[Housiemousie]

I have always been a Fine Gael voter. I'm from a long line of FG voters, many active in the party, who would be horrified by how much I want Mary Lou to succeed.

I really want to like Leo. He looks the part but he's not speaking to me. I am self employed in rural Ireland and neither FF or FG have sounded like they know I or any of my family or friends exist in the 20 years I have lived here (having worked abroad for a decade post uni). I even have a soft spot for Micheál Martin (who can resist a Cork accent) But I am not a farmer so he's not representing me either.

So why is Mary Lou so appealing? I couldn't even listen to Gerry Adams. Is it the fact that because she's not northern I'm not thinking IRA? Or because we really have moved past that , or is it that we are so, so sick of the entrenched fat cats of FF and FG that anything (well, almost, you can keep Aontu) will be better?

I'd love to hear I'm not alone in finding this upcoming election more exciting than previous ones.

It's democracy. You don't approve of his views or his celebrations but his supporters do. If it offends you that much I suggest you join the political party of your choice and engage in some positive action. You are able to change this. Writing bitchy comments on an Internet forum isn't going to achieve that change.

How will SF be responsible for violence around a border poll?

I’m sick of this kind of scare mongering- the status quo was unfair and not working for many people in our communities. We need change

These are two different issues. It is perfectly possible to understand that the status quo was not working for many people without thinking SF is the answer.

How do you think northern communities viewed RA songs being sung in the RDS yesterday? How do you think they might respond to the idea of being unified in a state where that is seen as acceptable behaviour? It is like telling non-republican communities that all their worst fears are confirmed. You only have to look at the state of play in Stormont for the last 3 years to see that the north is far from comfortable with change or stable in any real way.

Dessie Ellis for Minister for Justice, yay!

I think that portfolio is really what SF want, the three Hs housing, homeless, and health are a smokescreen. But they have to get into Government first I suppose.

I doubt SF will be able to deliver much on the three Hs, but might be able to put a better spin on the whole thing.

Did you mean to sound so patronising badeyebri?

I stood in the freezing cold for 3 weekends leafleting for a local candidate (who actually topped the poll). The reason I did so is because I know I can trust him to do what he says he will do. No SF voter can say that. They may well have voted in the sincere belief that SF are in this for the social good, and I think many party workers on the ground really are, but there is an altogether different agenda going on at the top of the party. This party is the opposite of transparent regarding who is actually in charge. That was patently obvious when ML was challenged regarding the SCC and Paul Quinn.

And that is NOT democracy in my opinion.

Let them off!
We can’t hold the majority of the population to ransom with terrible public services and a warped distribution of wealth because we’re afraid a handful of rich people will leave.

Easy to say. But according to a report by Social Justice Ireland "High-net worth individuals" are defined by Revenue as those with over €50 million in assets, but there is huge variation in the income tax paid by the 334 people who fall within this group, according to the C&AG report. In 2015 this group paid a total of €473 million in income tax. However a mere 10 ten taxpayers from the group were responsible for 85 per cent of this tax bill, meaning that many of the rest paid very little income tax.

So are you happy if those 10 individuals leave? (I think we'd all be happy to see the other 324 paying their fair share but that's a separate issue).

The businesses and multi-nationals you've failed to mention. You'd like those to stay or you're happy to "Let them off" also?

There seems to be a very basic failure to understand the balance between money in and money available to spend. Bringing businesses and wealthy individuals low might feel like some sort of retribution but if they're the "money in", any government needs to ensure a business friendly environment in order to have any ability to spend.

Our debt already stands at €216 billion. We posted a small surplus in 2019 for the first time since 2006. The outcome of Brexit still stands to push us into recession again. There is no magic pot of money. It has to come in the form of a continuous stream of income. So telling wealthy people and businesses that we have no use for them is literally killing the goose that lays the golden egg.

My dh is convinced SF want to be in opposition as afraid they will be annihilated Next time out. So will want to push FG and FF intogether .
Ok lets see what they can do ? I am totally anti SF but sick of rhetoric and promises they cant keep. So come on sort out health and housing while alienating businesses and see where that gets us. mary Lous strings are being pulled. Dear lord, dessie ellus in justice
.imagine the cheers in Portlaois !! Id have to leave the country!!

On phone hence terrible spelling and typos

Danny Healy Rae is on. I love a proper accent. Apparently they are brilliant for their constituents and Michael works 24-7. 4 of them are county councillors too.

I've a feeling SF don't want to be in either but I don't know if they've a choice.

"and Michael works 24-7"

Sometimes in two places at once

Of course the poor tourist who was beaten up by the Healy Raes must think they are a great family altogether.

Missed that one egg. Does Michael be in the Dáil voting when he's down in Kerry, MayorQ? The good people of Kerry seem to be happy with them anyway. I wonder would they ever get a third in.

Just spotted Richard Boyd Barrett - he's getting fierce like the Cusacks.

I'm worn out from all the excitement.

Do we think FF and SF will do a deal?

Did SF get 37 out of 42? I know they didn't get in in Cork West. Anywhere else?

Just heard Mary Lou's Irish. She won't be getting any marks for a good blas and far from fluent but she's obviously put in the effort from the brief bit I heard.

twitter.com/ni_allo/status/1226921320866369536?s=21

Newly elected SF TD shouting Up The Ra

Just a normal political party, for sure.

Oh that's all we need. And I heard people saying he's great but they wouldn't vote SF.

Have they no cop on? They're supposed to be politicians. Where's the cop on?

Sinn Fein have some great candidates but they could have put Dustin up for election this time and he would have gotten in. My worry is that some of their now tds never ran before and haven't even been counsellors so will they out of their depth. They have promised so much and I just can't fathom how they can deliver it all and keep everyone happy.

True Voila. Reminds me of when the Greens went into coalition and were clueless. The only thing is is that Sinn Féin as a party have some experience of being in government in NI. That might be helpful.

"Does Michael be in the Dáil voting when he's down in Kerry, MayorQ? The good people of Kerry seem to be happy with them anyway. I wonder would they ever get a third in."
www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/healy-rae-admits-going-to-funeral-in-kerry-after-clocking-in-for-the-dail-38661857.html

I think they have a third earmarked, it'll be interesting to see if a conviction for assault causing harm has any impact on that, sadly I think not.

"Have they no cop on? They're supposed to be politicians. Where's the cop on?"

I don't think so. Or more accurately I think they don't care.

I'd hesitate to call them politicians, I don't think half of them had any idea that they'd actually get elected. Sure one of them went on holiday for the week of the election and stress gotten in.
A few months ago they weren't trusted to fix a traffic light and now they're going to fix the health service. MLM has bossed this campaign by highlighting and then capitalising on the failures of the big two.
Only a week ago she wasn't going to be in the main leaders debate as she wasn't a viable taoiseach.
They'll be praying that FF & FG get in to bed together so they can be a strong opposition and promote an idea of the elites denying the will of the people.

Like fuck do these scumbags actually want to run the country on their cigarette packet manifesto

"Newly elected SF TD shouting Up The Ra

Just a normal political party, for sure."

And he's standing over it.
With the "not a bullshitter" MLM avoiding three question and inventing a context that isn't accurate to defend it.

At the end of the speech, he shouted:

“Up the Republic, Up the ‘Ra. Tiocfaidh ár Lá.”

The address to supporters was filmed on a camera phone and has been posted on Twitter.

Mr Cullinane said he fully stood over what he had said at the rally, saying his audience, like him, were republicans.

“I have never distanced myself from the IRA, or from Bobby Sands and the people who died on hunger strike, or for those who, over 100 years, were involved in the armed struggle.

“That is no Secret. I have no problem saying that,” he said.

“I have never had any difficulty with people taking a stance.”

Asked would the phrase ‘Up the ‘Ra’ be considered insulting to some people, he said:

“We are a united Ireland party and we have never distanced ourselves from that.

“I do not agree with everything that the IRA did but I would not distance myself from it.”

Asked about the video, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald told RTÉ Six One News she had not seen the video, it was the first she had heard of it and she did not know the context.

“I haven’t seen the video so to be honest this is the first that I’ve heard of it and if that’s the case I don’t know what the context of the singing of that was I assume it must be Celtic Symphony or some such so David no doubt will make an explanation of that,” Ms McDonald said.

“He has to explain that, I haven’t seen the video, so I don’t want to make a comment on material I haven’t seen,” she added.

www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/sinn-f%C3%A9in-s-david-cullinane-defends-shouting-up-the-ra-after-election-1.4168791?mode=amp

AgileLass thanks for linking to that- I hadn't seen it.
Confirms my opinion of SF... though I may not be shouting it from the rooftops here

I just saw that @mayorquimby2, that is shocking. Somebody cullinane, giving it the full Tiocfiadh ar la. Omg.

They're not supposed to be like that any more! Gerry Adams will be telling Mary Lou to reprimand Mr Cullinane sharpish

I think ff sf coalition is most likely, I don't know if a rainbow coalition is possible. I don't know how stable a coalition will be, will we be out voting again at Halloween? I think sf have some intelligent politicians and a lot less able.
If they can sort out health, the use, vhi, medical card,private patient, med 2, one free dental check, lack of disability services, mental health services... I'll be delighted!

@AgileLass I mean.

"They're not supposed to be like that any more! Gerry Adams will be telling Mary Lou to reprimand Mr Cullinane sharpish"

The army council will probably praise him though.

Just a normal normal party with an army council of terrorists overseeing them like every other normal party

Yeh @Mayorquimby2 thanks for posting that interview, total deflection that there is context to Tiocfiadh ar La. Cos sometimes it's quite eceumenical, sometimes it's like make me a channel of your peace, sometimes it's an episode of peppa pig. Can't really comment on that at all.